I've started reading Exodus 1. Lord-willing I will finish Exodus on schedule and will continue writing about my thoughts on my devotions on a daily basis.
What was pharaoh so afraid of that got him to afflict oppression on the Israelites? He was afraid that the Israelites would turn on Egypt and side with their enemies if war breaks out. It is important to note that Joseph was not known to this pharaoh for if he was, then he would have realized Egypt wouldn't have been the power it was if not for one Israelite. And it's important to note that pharaoh was afraid of this only because the Israelites have become numerous. In other words, he has turned the Israelites' blessing into Egypt's curse.
How did pharaoh respond? He does three things: 1. He tried to suppress the Israelites 2. He tried to get them to turn on each other 3. He tries to end their abundance by killing all the male-born children. All of this to accomplish one thing: To suppress God's blessing. Or in other words, pharaoh is trying to keep God from enacting his sovereign plan of prosperity and abundance for His people because he sees it as a potential curse to his people.
How does this apply to us? If we look at our lives and we look at one of the things God has given us, and our reaction is "God why would you give me something like this?" or "God, why would you put me in this situation?", we are in the same boat as Pharaoh. If we think about it, how quick are we to think of something as an affliction (either self-imposed or something we can't change) as opposed to be a blessing? How often do we thank God for blessings we receive, even though in that immediate moment it might not seem like a blessing?
If we look at how we deal with something we are ashamed of, whether it's an ability, something in our body, or our present situation, it's reasonable for pharaoh to have done what he did. We suppress the deformity or we hide the shamefulness of what might be God's blessing for us. We get people to focus on their own problems so that we won't feel bad. And more often than not, we end up keeping from God the glory that can come from displaying His blessing through that deformity or that affliction or that "problem".
In a more "Gospel" oriented context, how ashamed are we of our own sins and our redemption? How willing are we to be witnesses to God's saving grace and his mercy while also mentioning what exactly did we do that warranted that grace and mercy? We become so engrossed in the "Christian" life, we tend to forget we were redeemed from something called sin. I'm not saying that in our sin we should be shameless. On the contrary our shame should get us to want more of God's grace and mercy, and asking for it in humility before a holy God.
But what I am willing to say is that our sin, which we meant for evil, God meant for good and ultimately His glory. To hide the sins we were saved from in our witnessing because of our shame is the self-righteousness that comes from someone who doesn't see all things, even sin, working for God's purpose. When we are called to be witnesses, we are called to be a witness to God's working through us. For Jesus died on the cross not for people who are already redeemed or people who are already perfect, but for sinners.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
A Faith that is Founded on God
The last chapter is Genesis is in my opinion, a very fitting way to end the lives of the Biblical patriarchs. This chapter is the perfect summary of what Genesis has been about: the patriarchs of Judaism and Christianity that has had a faith in God and God alone. A faith that is not founded on prosperity (Isaac's obedience instead of going to Egypt), favor with others (Abraham's alliances and conquest of other nations), and oneself (Jacob's deceit). And we see what that faith looks like in Joseph. I'll come up with 3 demonstrations of faith through Joseph.
1. A faith in God is public and it can move even those who don't believe. We can see this in how Joseph carried out his father's promises. He was carrying out God's intention for the patriarchs, which was to be in the land of promise. He has not been shy with his faith even to the point that he asked pharaoh, in front of the whole Egyptian court, to take a break from his duty to return to his homeland and bury his father. Also, the fact that Egyptians (who probably had other gods/deities) were participating in the ceremony AND the Canaanites were seeing the Egyptians weep for Jacob speaks to how God moves even those that don't know Him and those that might not even want to know Him.
2. A faith in God moves a person to act in accordance with what God has done. Joseph forgives his brothers not because of what they have asked of him, even if they claim to say that it was Jacob's last will. Joseph brings his acts of forgiveness and kindness back to God. Verse 19-21 shows Jacob giving credit for his actions to God, in that he is in no place to condemn neither was he in a place to give false forgiveness because God has already offered true forgiveness. His brothers don't believe him when he said it was alright earlier, but a forgiveness that is of God is unchanging and unwavering, and it brings glory to God through whoever offered the forgiveness and the one forgiven.
3. A faith in God waits patiently for the fulfillment of His promise even if they don't see its fulfillment. In other words, a faith in God puts complete trust in God with all things. In the passage, Joseph had one request: to be taken up from Egypt and buried in the land of his fathers. But look at what happens (and how Genesis ends): he was placed in a coffin in Egypt, not even buried. After all that Joseph has done his last request was not fulfilled, neither by Egyptians nor the descendants of his own brothers that he has promised to take care of.
Spoiler Alert:
In Exodus, Joseph's request was fulfilled. It's safe to say that he lived out the rest of his days in Egypt because that was his calling. It would've been easy for Joseph to run to Canaan and wait for his death there to "fulfill his heart's desire".
I think it's important to reflect on these things because our faith could be founded on something that isn't God. A faith founded on prosperity and wealth falters when you lose all of your savings, or if you get sick. A faith founded on community falters when you move to another community, or if you are suddenly called to a mission to a place without Christians. A faith founded on yourself falters when you realize how much you really fall short of God's holiness and how much you don't deserve of his grace and mercy. But a faith in God is the type of faith that gets us to glorify Him and to persevere even if we're not in wealth/prosperity, even if we're not in a community of Christians, or even if we fall or stumble in life. And that's exactly the type of faith and obedience Jesus showed on the cross. Jesus lost the very clothes on his back, the support of his followers, and even the connection with the Father for that one instance and yet He carried out God's plan in obedience knowing that at the end of it all, God is glorified in that type of faith.
1. A faith in God is public and it can move even those who don't believe. We can see this in how Joseph carried out his father's promises. He was carrying out God's intention for the patriarchs, which was to be in the land of promise. He has not been shy with his faith even to the point that he asked pharaoh, in front of the whole Egyptian court, to take a break from his duty to return to his homeland and bury his father. Also, the fact that Egyptians (who probably had other gods/deities) were participating in the ceremony AND the Canaanites were seeing the Egyptians weep for Jacob speaks to how God moves even those that don't know Him and those that might not even want to know Him.
2. A faith in God moves a person to act in accordance with what God has done. Joseph forgives his brothers not because of what they have asked of him, even if they claim to say that it was Jacob's last will. Joseph brings his acts of forgiveness and kindness back to God. Verse 19-21 shows Jacob giving credit for his actions to God, in that he is in no place to condemn neither was he in a place to give false forgiveness because God has already offered true forgiveness. His brothers don't believe him when he said it was alright earlier, but a forgiveness that is of God is unchanging and unwavering, and it brings glory to God through whoever offered the forgiveness and the one forgiven.
3. A faith in God waits patiently for the fulfillment of His promise even if they don't see its fulfillment. In other words, a faith in God puts complete trust in God with all things. In the passage, Joseph had one request: to be taken up from Egypt and buried in the land of his fathers. But look at what happens (and how Genesis ends): he was placed in a coffin in Egypt, not even buried. After all that Joseph has done his last request was not fulfilled, neither by Egyptians nor the descendants of his own brothers that he has promised to take care of.
Spoiler Alert:
In Exodus, Joseph's request was fulfilled. It's safe to say that he lived out the rest of his days in Egypt because that was his calling. It would've been easy for Joseph to run to Canaan and wait for his death there to "fulfill his heart's desire".
I think it's important to reflect on these things because our faith could be founded on something that isn't God. A faith founded on prosperity and wealth falters when you lose all of your savings, or if you get sick. A faith founded on community falters when you move to another community, or if you are suddenly called to a mission to a place without Christians. A faith founded on yourself falters when you realize how much you really fall short of God's holiness and how much you don't deserve of his grace and mercy. But a faith in God is the type of faith that gets us to glorify Him and to persevere even if we're not in wealth/prosperity, even if we're not in a community of Christians, or even if we fall or stumble in life. And that's exactly the type of faith and obedience Jesus showed on the cross. Jesus lost the very clothes on his back, the support of his followers, and even the connection with the Father for that one instance and yet He carried out God's plan in obedience knowing that at the end of it all, God is glorified in that type of faith.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Prophecies Regarding Israel
I've noticed that it's hard to really think about the importance of this chapter. In the scheme of things, it seems like I want to move on ahead to Exodus. But doing some research on the 12 tribes, it seems like it's all the more significant. Most of this blog will be a breakdown of the fulfillment of Jacob's prophecy. Also, I plan on writing a bit about the consequences of sin and how dire it is.
Reuben: Because he slept with his father's concubine, he was cursed and the blessing of the firstborn was taken from him. It's important to note that his bloodline never enters the Promised Land and no prophet, king, or judge in the Bible came from this bloodline ("shalt not excel")
Levi and Simeon: Both avenged their sister Dinah by killing off an entire group of people. The tribe of Simeon basically had land but it came from Judah. And the tribe of Levi never got land, but rather they became priests scattered among Israel.
Judah: The blessing came to him. So he became the leader and through him the kings of Israel were born (except Saul). Ultimately it leads to the Lion of Judah, Jesus Himself. The latter part of the prophecy is usually interpreted as Jesus' suffering.
Zebulun: The prophecy said Zebulun will dwell by the sea. The tribe was given the region of Galilee near Lake Tiberias which connects to the Mediterranean Sea. Haven also meant that ships would go there when storms would be tough in the Mediterranean.
Isachaar: It mentioned that the land will be pleasant but they won't fight for it. In Judges, the Canaanites invaded and while the other tribes were mentioned fighting their respective battles, Isachaar was left out.
Dan: Samson, one of the notable judges of Israel, is from the tribe of Dan. The serpent reference could refer to the idea that the tribe of Dan brought idolatry into Israel. Eventually, some of the other tribes fell as well.
Gad: They shall be overtaken. They were one of the tribes that never entered the Promise Land and so they were always subject to attack by raiders. They were also one of the first tribes to be taken into captivity.
Napthali: Many Theologians think this refers to Deborah and her song in Judges.
Joseph: The prophecies about him and his sons were mentioned in the last chapter. Jacob's words were more of a commendation of where he has been his whole life.
Benjamin: Although a small tribe, they were able to overcome many military conquests where they were the underdog. They were known for being fierce and war-like.
Looking at all of the patriarchs of the tribes and how the fate of the tribes ended up, I can't help but think of the consequences of sin and the blessings of obedience. It seems from this that the consequences of sin are not always immediate, and that more often than not others will suffer because of our sin. In this case, the descendants of these brothers will be the ones who bear their burden while all the brothers got is a reprimanding from their father. But the same time, the blessings of obedience are also reaped by their descendants. Joseph and Benjamin's tribes are blessed. Judah's will eventually become the line of kings and Christ.
I guess for us, it should open our eyes to call for repentance. That although we are forgiven in Christ, the earthly consequences of our sins will still be there. For you to think that you can keep sinning because you can bear the consequences of it anyway, don't forget that others will also suffer for it. If you look at the cross, there's many interpretations for it. Many say that God turning his face at Calvary was the ultimate punishment. But let's not forget the blood, the nails, the crown, and the whipping that Jesus received. If you want to see earthly consequences for our sins, let's look at the physical and mental torture that Jesus had to endure, along with the spiritual pain and anguish He received.
Reuben: Because he slept with his father's concubine, he was cursed and the blessing of the firstborn was taken from him. It's important to note that his bloodline never enters the Promised Land and no prophet, king, or judge in the Bible came from this bloodline ("shalt not excel")
Levi and Simeon: Both avenged their sister Dinah by killing off an entire group of people. The tribe of Simeon basically had land but it came from Judah. And the tribe of Levi never got land, but rather they became priests scattered among Israel.
Judah: The blessing came to him. So he became the leader and through him the kings of Israel were born (except Saul). Ultimately it leads to the Lion of Judah, Jesus Himself. The latter part of the prophecy is usually interpreted as Jesus' suffering.
Zebulun: The prophecy said Zebulun will dwell by the sea. The tribe was given the region of Galilee near Lake Tiberias which connects to the Mediterranean Sea. Haven also meant that ships would go there when storms would be tough in the Mediterranean.
Isachaar: It mentioned that the land will be pleasant but they won't fight for it. In Judges, the Canaanites invaded and while the other tribes were mentioned fighting their respective battles, Isachaar was left out.
Dan: Samson, one of the notable judges of Israel, is from the tribe of Dan. The serpent reference could refer to the idea that the tribe of Dan brought idolatry into Israel. Eventually, some of the other tribes fell as well.
Gad: They shall be overtaken. They were one of the tribes that never entered the Promise Land and so they were always subject to attack by raiders. They were also one of the first tribes to be taken into captivity.
Napthali: Many Theologians think this refers to Deborah and her song in Judges.
Joseph: The prophecies about him and his sons were mentioned in the last chapter. Jacob's words were more of a commendation of where he has been his whole life.
Benjamin: Although a small tribe, they were able to overcome many military conquests where they were the underdog. They were known for being fierce and war-like.
Looking at all of the patriarchs of the tribes and how the fate of the tribes ended up, I can't help but think of the consequences of sin and the blessings of obedience. It seems from this that the consequences of sin are not always immediate, and that more often than not others will suffer because of our sin. In this case, the descendants of these brothers will be the ones who bear their burden while all the brothers got is a reprimanding from their father. But the same time, the blessings of obedience are also reaped by their descendants. Joseph and Benjamin's tribes are blessed. Judah's will eventually become the line of kings and Christ.
I guess for us, it should open our eyes to call for repentance. That although we are forgiven in Christ, the earthly consequences of our sins will still be there. For you to think that you can keep sinning because you can bear the consequences of it anyway, don't forget that others will also suffer for it. If you look at the cross, there's many interpretations for it. Many say that God turning his face at Calvary was the ultimate punishment. But let's not forget the blood, the nails, the crown, and the whipping that Jesus received. If you want to see earthly consequences for our sins, let's look at the physical and mental torture that Jesus had to endure, along with the spiritual pain and anguish He received.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Humility in God
I read Genesis 48 today so here's what I've pulled from it: This passage talks about who is blessed in the Earth and what humility means.
In this chapter Joseph presents his sons to Jacob realizing that Jacob's is probably near death. Jacob reminds Joseph of the blessing he received from God from Luz (running away from Esau). I think this takes us back to Jacob's blessing, that he received it from Isaac even though he was the younger son (Jacob and Esau). Towards the end of the chapter, Joseph receives a blessing that is greater than his brothers because Jacob loved Rachel. Remember that he was the younger of the other brothers. And as Jacob was blessing Joseph's sons, the younger received the greater blessing.
In a way, there were three instances where the greater blessing did not go to the one who would receive it in a cultural sense. Rather it went to the one who least deserved it. I think this passage makes several points about humility and blessing:
1. God's blessing is granted to those who seem to least deserve it.
2. Blessing comes in the form of fulfillment of God's promise
3. Humility can only come from God
For the first point, God's blessing seems to go to the younger sibling, not the older sibling. In older cultures, the older sibling deserves the blessing of the parent because ore responsibility is placed on them. They are the leaders of the household, second to the father. In a bigger picture, this passage seems to imply that God's blessing goes to those who least deserve it. Jesus' sermon on the mount seems to support this.
What is that blessing? It is the accomplishment of God's promise for our good. God's promise in the passage is the blessing of abundance in terms of children and prosperity. And the third point is that humility can only come from God. In a way, we can only be humble if we see ourselves in terms of God's holiness.
Why is this important? Because unless we reach a point of humility in respect to God's holiness, we'll never reach a point of true humility. True humility, in the passage, is the realization that you never deserved the blessing in the first place. Jacob was the 2nd born, Joseph was the youngest of all his brothers, and Ephraim was the 2nd born. If anyone deserved the blessing, it should be the 1st born. I think that the reason Jacob gave the blessing to Ephraim instead of the older sibling is to pass on this realization. That it will be through faith that their promises will be accomplished, not through works or status.
In terms of who deserves God's blessing and promise, let's also look at the cross. God gave us something that we never deserved. God gave us Christ exactly because He knows there's nothing we can do to repair the relationship we have broken with Him. And so in terms of blessing, God gave us the greatest gift of all: Christ.
In this chapter Joseph presents his sons to Jacob realizing that Jacob's is probably near death. Jacob reminds Joseph of the blessing he received from God from Luz (running away from Esau). I think this takes us back to Jacob's blessing, that he received it from Isaac even though he was the younger son (Jacob and Esau). Towards the end of the chapter, Joseph receives a blessing that is greater than his brothers because Jacob loved Rachel. Remember that he was the younger of the other brothers. And as Jacob was blessing Joseph's sons, the younger received the greater blessing.
In a way, there were three instances where the greater blessing did not go to the one who would receive it in a cultural sense. Rather it went to the one who least deserved it. I think this passage makes several points about humility and blessing:
1. God's blessing is granted to those who seem to least deserve it.
2. Blessing comes in the form of fulfillment of God's promise
3. Humility can only come from God
For the first point, God's blessing seems to go to the younger sibling, not the older sibling. In older cultures, the older sibling deserves the blessing of the parent because ore responsibility is placed on them. They are the leaders of the household, second to the father. In a bigger picture, this passage seems to imply that God's blessing goes to those who least deserve it. Jesus' sermon on the mount seems to support this.
What is that blessing? It is the accomplishment of God's promise for our good. God's promise in the passage is the blessing of abundance in terms of children and prosperity. And the third point is that humility can only come from God. In a way, we can only be humble if we see ourselves in terms of God's holiness.
Why is this important? Because unless we reach a point of humility in respect to God's holiness, we'll never reach a point of true humility. True humility, in the passage, is the realization that you never deserved the blessing in the first place. Jacob was the 2nd born, Joseph was the youngest of all his brothers, and Ephraim was the 2nd born. If anyone deserved the blessing, it should be the 1st born. I think that the reason Jacob gave the blessing to Ephraim instead of the older sibling is to pass on this realization. That it will be through faith that their promises will be accomplished, not through works or status.
In terms of who deserves God's blessing and promise, let's also look at the cross. God gave us something that we never deserved. God gave us Christ exactly because He knows there's nothing we can do to repair the relationship we have broken with Him. And so in terms of blessing, God gave us the greatest gift of all: Christ.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Building a Nation for God
As I'm nearing the close of Genesis, I can't help but wonder how things ended up the way they did at the beginning of Exodus. In a way, this chapter gives us insight into what happened and how God's blessings don't always seem to work (at least on the surface) for His people.
Joseph presents his family to Pharaoh to gain his approval. Notice that the only reason why Pharaoh approved of the Israelites was that they were relatives of Joseph (verse 5). It's important to note that Pharaoh also allowed Joseph to give his family the land that is the most fertile in Egypt. In this chapter, Joseph becomes the blessing for the Israelites and the Egyptians. Through his ability to lead and distribute resources, Joseph has secured not only the prosperity of Israel but also the unification of Egypt.
This speaks to God's plan and sovereignty. In order for Egypt to be realized as the great nation it is, it had to be unified under Pharaoh. And so with the famine, Joseph was able to unify Egypt by having neighboring territories sell their money, livestock, and land to Pharaoh. You can even anticipate what is happening here: the entire land and people is now under Pharoah's rule. And if you look ahead to Exodus, this is what happens.
So in terms of God's sovereignty, it's best to explain it this way: God used Joseph to bring His people and the rest of Egypt into slavery under Pharaoh. Anyone who knows of the trials and pain of the Israelites would look at Joseph and see that his actions have damned God's people. Although for that instant, Joseph saved the people from hunger and immediate death, he just sold a majority of the known world to Pharaoh. And what's even more interesting is that because the Israelites were in the most fertile land of Egypt, they would be the most prosperous people and it would only make sense for their population to grow under such favorable conditions. And it's this same growth that will put in Pharaoh's heart a fear that his own kingdom will be overrun. All of these situations begs the question: Why did God put the Israelites and the Egyptians under Pharoah, knowing that the circumstances to follow will lead to the oppression of an entire nation under slavery?
I won't claim to know all the answers, nor will I claim to understand the entirety of God's sovereignty and plan. But at least on the surface I can say that the reason I think God had the ancient world go through that process, even the famine, is for Exodus. In other words, it's for the demonstration of God's power and glory to both His people and the Egyptians through the Israelites' exodus out of Egypt through Moses. This can also get us to look into what happened in the beginning: Why would God allow sin to enter the world? I think it's so that His power and His glory can be demonstrated on the deliverance of man from his own sins through the cross.
It would be one thing to say that God delivered Israel from one small province ruled by Pharaoh. It's another to say that God delivered His chosen people out of the hands of the ruler of almost all the lands known to man at that time. It's one thing to say that God saved His chosen group or family(in terms of size), it's another to say God saved an entire nation He has chosen for Himself. And it's another thing to say that God prevented mankind's damnation be keeping one man from sinning, and it's another to say God saved all of mankind from all of their sins through one man Jesus Christ.
Monday, July 25, 2011
The Most Powerful Nation in the World
So praise God I've found the time to write again about my scripture reading. Today it was on Genesis 46. I think just based on how it was written, it can be split into three parts: 1. God makes a promise to Jacob 2. The genealogy of Jacob's offspring and 3. The family in Egypt. Each of these parts sort of reveal to the reader how God is working through this story.
1. God assures Jacob that He will watch over them in Egypt. I think the emphasis on this part is how God calls us when it comes to following Him. In this case, Jacob was called to send everything he was given and to invest it all in this trip to Egypt. What's important to note here (which I will point out more later on) is that the sons of Jacob are already in bad standing with the Egyptians, save for Joseph. God called Jacob to settle and invest his all in bringing up a nation in enemy territory.
2. The genealogy is important because like before, it's the continuing reminder to the reader about the importance of God's promise for a messiah. Notice that Judah's family led the way to Egypt. It is this same family through which God will make His promise known and accomplish through Christ what was to be prophesied in scripture after Israel leaves Egypt. (Notice that God is working His plan for the messiah even before any record of a promise was written, before the prophet Isaiah, before David wrote the Psalms, even before there seemed any chance of Israel ever being able to return to Canaan.
3. It's important to note that Jacob's offspring are already losing favor with Egypt just because of their occupation (Genesis 46:34). There are many theories as to why this is possible. Some say it's because of xenophobia, while others point to the nature of sheep and how they weren't supposed to graze with cattle because the sheep destroy the grassland that they feed. But what's important here is again how God is working. God is raising up a people for Himself, within the walls of their enemy, which happens to be the most powerful nation in the world at the time, the only oasis in the known world because of a famine. An enemy in Egypt that is already against Israel even before they were enslaved, even while Joseph was in power.
You can even start drawing contrasts. God chose a people who compared to their neighbors the Egyptians, were dirty nomads who took care of sheep for a living. A group of people who lived in tents and pretty much lacked any real military alliances at the time. And that same group of people is exactly where God decided to come down in human form and die for the sins of mankind.
What this passage is telling us, through the entry of Israel and his children into Egypt, is that when God calls us to do His will, we should give it our all. Because that's how we show our trust and faith in Him. And remember that God calls a people to Him from the most unexpected of places. God is glorified the most through people who in the eyes of the world, have very little to no value. To God however, these people are the vehicles and the carriers of His divine sovereignty over all things. I think that in the passage, the most powerful nation wasn't the one that had all the food, all the wealth, all the luxury, the palaces, and healthy people, the one that seems to be the most blessed in terms of material wealth. The most powerful nation is the small nomadic family of shepherds because through this family, God promises salvation for men and peace brought to all nations through Jesus Christ.
1. God assures Jacob that He will watch over them in Egypt. I think the emphasis on this part is how God calls us when it comes to following Him. In this case, Jacob was called to send everything he was given and to invest it all in this trip to Egypt. What's important to note here (which I will point out more later on) is that the sons of Jacob are already in bad standing with the Egyptians, save for Joseph. God called Jacob to settle and invest his all in bringing up a nation in enemy territory.
2. The genealogy is important because like before, it's the continuing reminder to the reader about the importance of God's promise for a messiah. Notice that Judah's family led the way to Egypt. It is this same family through which God will make His promise known and accomplish through Christ what was to be prophesied in scripture after Israel leaves Egypt. (Notice that God is working His plan for the messiah even before any record of a promise was written, before the prophet Isaiah, before David wrote the Psalms, even before there seemed any chance of Israel ever being able to return to Canaan.
3. It's important to note that Jacob's offspring are already losing favor with Egypt just because of their occupation (Genesis 46:34). There are many theories as to why this is possible. Some say it's because of xenophobia, while others point to the nature of sheep and how they weren't supposed to graze with cattle because the sheep destroy the grassland that they feed. But what's important here is again how God is working. God is raising up a people for Himself, within the walls of their enemy, which happens to be the most powerful nation in the world at the time, the only oasis in the known world because of a famine. An enemy in Egypt that is already against Israel even before they were enslaved, even while Joseph was in power.
You can even start drawing contrasts. God chose a people who compared to their neighbors the Egyptians, were dirty nomads who took care of sheep for a living. A group of people who lived in tents and pretty much lacked any real military alliances at the time. And that same group of people is exactly where God decided to come down in human form and die for the sins of mankind.
What this passage is telling us, through the entry of Israel and his children into Egypt, is that when God calls us to do His will, we should give it our all. Because that's how we show our trust and faith in Him. And remember that God calls a people to Him from the most unexpected of places. God is glorified the most through people who in the eyes of the world, have very little to no value. To God however, these people are the vehicles and the carriers of His divine sovereignty over all things. I think that in the passage, the most powerful nation wasn't the one that had all the food, all the wealth, all the luxury, the palaces, and healthy people, the one that seems to be the most blessed in terms of material wealth. The most powerful nation is the small nomadic family of shepherds because through this family, God promises salvation for men and peace brought to all nations through Jesus Christ.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Acknowledging God's Sovereignty over a Fallen People
Lord-willing, I will be able to write on this blog regularly. It's been an interesting vacation, especially since I was able to hear in its entirety the "Prosperity Gospel". I will touch on this when I get to Malachi 10, one of the most commonly used defenses for it. But right now I want to focus on Genesis 45, when Joseph reveals himself to his brothers as Jacob's son.
It's easy to draw the parallel between Joseph and Jesus. So it's only appropriate to draw a parallel between the revelation of Joseph's identity to his brothers with Jesus' identity to us:
How do we recognize Jesus? We don't, until He Himself reveals His identity to us. If you look at the Gospels, Jesus's role as the Messiah was pronounced first by John the Baptist. However most people never made the connection until Jesus himself made the claim that He was God. In the same way Joseph's identity was never revealed until he reveals himself to his brothers. And even then they didn't believe him on the spot. It speaks to 2 things: The hearts of men and the sovereignty of God. The former being a stubborn inclination to acknowledge truth when it is proclaimed, only accepting it when it is witnessed. And the latter being God's control and sovereignty over all of creation.
God's sovereignty is most demonstrated through our bad intentions. You can draw a second parallel with Genesis 50:20, where God used what we intended for evil God used for good. Joseph's brothers intended to remove Joseph from his position of influence over them as Jacob's favorite son, and God used that to save the land from famine. In the same way, our sins, in its attempt to destroy the only thing that was pure and holy in this world, God used for the salvation of mankind. God's sovereignty is most highly displayed in our disobedience, in our malice, and in our sin. It is easy to say "glory to God" when good things happen out of our actions. But to proclaim that while we are sinful, God is all the more glorified, that speaks more to His power over all things of this world.
The last parallel you can draw is the joy that comes from realizing God's sovereignty. The fact that God used it for good should give us hope, even in a world as fallen as ours. In the passage, Jacob's joy moves him to want to go to Egypt, to travel to a distant land at his age, just to see his son who he thought was dead. And isn't that the joy we should be experiencing on Easter Sunday when we celebrate Jesus' resurrection from the dead. In both cases the good that comes out destroys any evil that we had intended originally.
The problem that I think, most Christians deal with is seeing God working through the worst of situations and thinking "God, how can any good possibly come out of this". We have relatives dying, natural disasters killing hundreds, corrupt politicians destroying the economy, people losing jobs, and how can a God, a sovereign God, possibly pull any good out of that? Let's just look at the cross. An instrument of death and torture meant to suffocate a criminal, while publicly humiliating them. A weapon of fear and death that had the ability to suppress any rebellion, kill any desire to stand up against the Roman empire. The same weapon that will be the symbol of oppression, racism, and intolerance, sometimes even used for satanic worship. And for God to turn that same weapon of death into the instrument for man's salvation. If God is sovereign in Calvary, there is no where else He cannot reign and have control over.
It's easy to draw the parallel between Joseph and Jesus. So it's only appropriate to draw a parallel between the revelation of Joseph's identity to his brothers with Jesus' identity to us:
How do we recognize Jesus? We don't, until He Himself reveals His identity to us. If you look at the Gospels, Jesus's role as the Messiah was pronounced first by John the Baptist. However most people never made the connection until Jesus himself made the claim that He was God. In the same way Joseph's identity was never revealed until he reveals himself to his brothers. And even then they didn't believe him on the spot. It speaks to 2 things: The hearts of men and the sovereignty of God. The former being a stubborn inclination to acknowledge truth when it is proclaimed, only accepting it when it is witnessed. And the latter being God's control and sovereignty over all of creation.
God's sovereignty is most demonstrated through our bad intentions. You can draw a second parallel with Genesis 50:20, where God used what we intended for evil God used for good. Joseph's brothers intended to remove Joseph from his position of influence over them as Jacob's favorite son, and God used that to save the land from famine. In the same way, our sins, in its attempt to destroy the only thing that was pure and holy in this world, God used for the salvation of mankind. God's sovereignty is most highly displayed in our disobedience, in our malice, and in our sin. It is easy to say "glory to God" when good things happen out of our actions. But to proclaim that while we are sinful, God is all the more glorified, that speaks more to His power over all things of this world.
The last parallel you can draw is the joy that comes from realizing God's sovereignty. The fact that God used it for good should give us hope, even in a world as fallen as ours. In the passage, Jacob's joy moves him to want to go to Egypt, to travel to a distant land at his age, just to see his son who he thought was dead. And isn't that the joy we should be experiencing on Easter Sunday when we celebrate Jesus' resurrection from the dead. In both cases the good that comes out destroys any evil that we had intended originally.
The problem that I think, most Christians deal with is seeing God working through the worst of situations and thinking "God, how can any good possibly come out of this". We have relatives dying, natural disasters killing hundreds, corrupt politicians destroying the economy, people losing jobs, and how can a God, a sovereign God, possibly pull any good out of that? Let's just look at the cross. An instrument of death and torture meant to suffocate a criminal, while publicly humiliating them. A weapon of fear and death that had the ability to suppress any rebellion, kill any desire to stand up against the Roman empire. The same weapon that will be the symbol of oppression, racism, and intolerance, sometimes even used for satanic worship. And for God to turn that same weapon of death into the instrument for man's salvation. If God is sovereign in Calvary, there is no where else He cannot reign and have control over.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Being A Steward For God
So I've missed out on my devotions because of internet problems. Lord-willing things I will be able to do this again daily when I get back to Boston. I've also been missing out on my my Bible readings because of both time I have to myself and my unwillingness to wake up earlier than 9AM every single day. Pray for me in this regard, that by God's grace I will be able to build up a discipline for living out His Word.
So for Genesis 43, didn't really read into it as much as I could have. Given my internet connection, I'll keep things short.
Benjamin was the only brother Joseph had from the same mother. This should explain why it's so important to him to the point that he was brought to tears at the very sight of him.
Anyway, I think this passage wants to show us what are the signs of good stewardship as modeled by Joseph. He models stewardship as something that is not expected, something that is done because we are reminded of God's grace, and something that strengthens the community between each other.
Stewardship originally meant what Joseph did which was to serve the guests of your household. But in a more Christian context it's meant to take care of someone. I guess it's important to realize the aspects of Christian stewardship because it's one that reflects God's kindness towards us given what God has given us. It's important for it to be unexpected because it reflects unconditional kindness, something done outside of obligation and is a true act of grace. We need to act under the reminder of God's grace because it keeps us from acting with any selfish or ulterior motives. This is close to the 1st reason but altruism for it's own sake can't be the motivator we use. Unless it's for God, we will fail to really glorify Him in our acts of stewardship. In other words, our stewardship is no different from the ones that give for the sake of feeling good about giving or for the sake of giving for their organization/affiliation. And lastly, it needs to strengthen community or fellowship with each other. This is often a byproduct or a result of doing stewardship with the first two parts in mind. In a way, this is how we are blessed for serving: a deeper and stronger connection with each other.
The last point is important because this is how we know we're doing it for others and not for ourselves. That if we are not pushed into that stronger connection with those around us, we might not have done it for the right reasons. In the passage, Joseph eats with not only the Egyptians, the foreigners that will be the enemy of God's people, but also his brothers who threw him in the cistern and sold him off to slavery. Jesus himself dined with the same people who would put him on the cross. And in fellowship with Him, the same sinners whose sins resulted in His death, would live in fellowship with Him in the Kingdom of God.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Showing a Godly Grace and Mercy
I might be a bit behind in terms of my original plan because I don't have internet in Florida and I've been enjoying my vacation (meaning finding time to study the Bible with distractions is harder). So I read Genesis 42 and had a discussion with my aunt/uncle about it. In their view, Joseph's reluctance to reveal himself came from the human desire to sort of take in what the brothers did to him and to act accordingly. I'll address this later but I think the focus of this passage is what does grace and mercy look like and how do we respond to it?
1. It's important to note that mercy comes from whoever was wronged. In other words, mercy is being spared from the deserved punishment that one has incurred. In this passage, it would've been fair for Joseph to condemn his brothers to death for having wronged him but instead he showed mercy and spared them. At the same time, grace was also shown in that he gave them food and he didn't take their payment for it.
The more important note here is that true mercy is found when it is usually least expected. In other words, the greater the sin committed, the least mercy there is to be expected. We see this in how the brothers deal with Joseph (though they don't know it). When standing before a figure of power it is only appropriate to expect that the smallest offense committed against that person would warrant a great punishment. But on the contrary, Joseph shows mercy in terms of position and in terms of what they have done to him in the past.
2. The more dictionary-based point of mercy and grace is that they are undeserved. And so in terms of anticipating mercy and grace, neither are to be expected. So in terms of what Joseph has done and after he has accused them of being spies, the last thing on the minds of the brothers was to escape out of there alive. At the same time they didn't understand the grace of never paying for the grain that they took back with them to Israel.
3. Mercy and grace can make us feel bad, but it doesn't make us repentant. This is key because look at how the brothers communicate with Jacob. They are so focused on going back to Egypt to provide for themselves and their family that they don't realize what they are asking of Jacob. From our perspective we think the sin they need to repent of is destroying Joseph. But on the contrary, the greater sin in this passage, at least in my opinion, is depriving Jacob of his two most favorite sons born from the wife he loved Rachel. The brothers feel bad that they took Joseph away from Jacob but here we see they are asking him to give up Benjamin as well. The mercy in this part of the passage comes from Jacob but it doesn't make the sons anymore repentant.
Looking at this in the bigger picture, that's what we did on the cross. Because of our sins God gave up His Son so that we can be saved. We deprived God of His Son because we are so unwilling to repent and we don't know how much that hurt the father that we repeat the offense over and over. Like Jacob losing Joseph, God lost His son to us, to our iniquities so that we can be saved. In a way, Jesus was able to return to the father. But I can't help but think God at some point must've been hurt by the loss because we need that saving grace. Given all the glory that God received on the cross, I can't help but think that in our sin we remind God of the pain and suffering His son felt because of us, a pain that makes even Jesus recite
1. It's important to note that mercy comes from whoever was wronged. In other words, mercy is being spared from the deserved punishment that one has incurred. In this passage, it would've been fair for Joseph to condemn his brothers to death for having wronged him but instead he showed mercy and spared them. At the same time, grace was also shown in that he gave them food and he didn't take their payment for it.
The more important note here is that true mercy is found when it is usually least expected. In other words, the greater the sin committed, the least mercy there is to be expected. We see this in how the brothers deal with Joseph (though they don't know it). When standing before a figure of power it is only appropriate to expect that the smallest offense committed against that person would warrant a great punishment. But on the contrary, Joseph shows mercy in terms of position and in terms of what they have done to him in the past.
2. The more dictionary-based point of mercy and grace is that they are undeserved. And so in terms of anticipating mercy and grace, neither are to be expected. So in terms of what Joseph has done and after he has accused them of being spies, the last thing on the minds of the brothers was to escape out of there alive. At the same time they didn't understand the grace of never paying for the grain that they took back with them to Israel.
3. Mercy and grace can make us feel bad, but it doesn't make us repentant. This is key because look at how the brothers communicate with Jacob. They are so focused on going back to Egypt to provide for themselves and their family that they don't realize what they are asking of Jacob. From our perspective we think the sin they need to repent of is destroying Joseph. But on the contrary, the greater sin in this passage, at least in my opinion, is depriving Jacob of his two most favorite sons born from the wife he loved Rachel. The brothers feel bad that they took Joseph away from Jacob but here we see they are asking him to give up Benjamin as well. The mercy in this part of the passage comes from Jacob but it doesn't make the sons anymore repentant.
Looking at this in the bigger picture, that's what we did on the cross. Because of our sins God gave up His Son so that we can be saved. We deprived God of His Son because we are so unwilling to repent and we don't know how much that hurt the father that we repeat the offense over and over. Like Jacob losing Joseph, God lost His son to us, to our iniquities so that we can be saved. In a way, Jesus was able to return to the father. But I can't help but think God at some point must've been hurt by the loss because we need that saving grace. Given all the glory that God received on the cross, I can't help but think that in our sin we remind God of the pain and suffering His son felt because of us, a pain that makes even Jesus recite
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Realizing How God Talks To Us
So basically, Genesis 41 is one of the most well-known passages. There are many interpretations of what this passage means and what it's saying to the reader. The story itself is interesting because this is the part in Joseph's life where God's plan really manifests itself. But I'll focus on God and His ways instead of focusing on what Joseph or what Pharaoh did:
1. God talks to us, usually with a warning or a message to make us aware of what our situation is and what will happen. In other words, God reveals His intent for us. In the passage, God reveals to Pharaoh what He plans to do to Egypt. In other stories, God also attaches a condemnation and a call to repentance. If ever you doubt this because you don't feel like you hear God's voice, we should look at what the Bible says. To us, we are so focused on God's immediate will for us in terms of who will be our wife or what job we'll get, we forget that God's will for us is holiness. So if ever we are at a point that we're asking ourselves or God "What do you want me to do?", remember we are called to holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:7). In light of this, God's message is usually a reminder and an evaluation of where we are at right now, usually nowhere near where we're supposed to be and we don't want to hear that. So we would rather tell ourselves that God isn't talking to me because He's not telling me what I want to hear.
2. We don't understand God's message either because God hasn't revealed Himself to us yet or we don't want to. In the passage it's the former, where Pharaoh's lack of understanding was necessary for Joseph to come in. And so God's will for for Pharoah to understand it through Joseph's interpretation. To us, it's both. Sometimes it's safe to say God hasn't revealed Himself to us yet. Many people lack the understanding of what Jesus has done for us on the cross. But more often than not it's the latter. We don't want to hear God's message or call to repentance because it reminds us of how much we are at fault compared to His Holiness.
3. God will then send someone who is perfect for the job to bring an understanding of His will for us. In the chapter Joseph is that man. In every way he was a man who can bring God's glory to the Egyptians. Yet they had their own deities, Joseph was able to glorify God and was able to reveal God's intent for Egypt and the entire world through him. Notice in the Old Testament God sends his prophets to remind Israel and to call them to repent of their ways. It's a reminder because they already know through the laws of God and the covenant He established with His people what they should be doing. And yet they do not repent.
We are stubborn when it comes to realizing God's will for us. We are so focused on the immediate future that we lose focus on what God's eternal will for us is: fellowship with Him and holiness through Him. Instead of giving ourselves up to God's will, a call for us to be holy we would rather force God to submit to our will for ourselves. We end up demanding of God "Tell me who my wife will be or where I will be working in 10 years". And this is exactly why God had to send His Son. We are so stubborn and self-centered that God said "You know what I'll do, I'll send my Son down to remind you how much I love you. To remind you how much I want you to be with me. And what it will take is for me to pour my wrath that you deserve on my Son on the cross, so that you will be able to spend eternity with me."
Saturday, July 16, 2011
A Dreamer's Gift
I am on a trip to Florida so I'm having a hard time both reading the Bible and keeping this up daily since my phone doesn't have blogging capabilities. I'm supposed to have read/studied Genesis 40 by yesterday so here it is.
We all have gifts from God but often times we question whether we are using our abilities as they were meant to be used or if they really did come from God. I guess we can look at Joseph's gift and sort of discern from them how God uses our gifts and maybe answer some other questions as well.
1. We all have gifts that God gave us to fulfill a certain need that no one else can accomplish. In a way, God had put Joseph in the position he was for various reasons, one of them was to help interpret these dreams for these men. Later on we'll also look at Joseph and how he was the only one in the kingdom who can interpret Pharaoh's dream and interestingly enough the dream itself came from God (remember that Egyptians worshiped thousands of deities). So if we are using our gifts where we are at right now in our present lives, know God allowed it so that we can demonstrate these abilities under these circumstances.
2. Our gifts are meant to remind us that all things come from God. I guess this is pretty self-explanatory and pretty obvious. It's also supported by verse 8 where Joseph gives credit to God, even to the point that he gives no credit to himself. This point will be more clear later after I explain the 3rd thing.
3. We must not expect immediate rewards or praises for performing those gifts that God gave to us. This says two things about us: One, it tells us that we use our gifts to glorify ourselves and thus, our expectations rise from our desire to be glorified through the gifts, not through God first; Second, it reminds us that our gifts are for God's glory first. God gave us all gifts, and at times when we ask God "Why did you give me this ability when it's completely useless?" or "What's the point of being good at this or that?", we ask that question precisely because we are looking for immediate results for demonstrating those gifts, more often than not results for our benefit, not God's glory.
Look back at the chapter. It took Joseph two years to get out of prison after interpreting the chief baker and cup bearer's dream. There was no immediate benefit for him in terms of demonstrating that gift, other than the fact that maybe if he had some doubt, it would affirm that God really worked through him (which isn't really supported in the text since his faith seemed unwavering). How many of us would try to use that ability to get out of prison as soon as we can instead of waiting for God to accomplish His plan.
For those who aren't Christian, they ask this question all the time. In fact, that's exactly why they're not Christian. Some non-Christians would tell me "Exactly why would I need the cross anyway? I'm living a life as good enough as it is already" or "What's the point of having a gift like that?". For me, it's because Christ's death and resurrection was meant for my salvation yes, but I'm not realizing the benefits of that now, nor do I fully enjoy in that gift in the time being. First and foremost, Christ's death on the cross was mean for God's glory. To demonstrate not just our iniquities and our faults, but primarily His saving grace and mercy. A gift that is more than enough for a world like ours.
We all have gifts from God but often times we question whether we are using our abilities as they were meant to be used or if they really did come from God. I guess we can look at Joseph's gift and sort of discern from them how God uses our gifts and maybe answer some other questions as well.
1. We all have gifts that God gave us to fulfill a certain need that no one else can accomplish. In a way, God had put Joseph in the position he was for various reasons, one of them was to help interpret these dreams for these men. Later on we'll also look at Joseph and how he was the only one in the kingdom who can interpret Pharaoh's dream and interestingly enough the dream itself came from God (remember that Egyptians worshiped thousands of deities). So if we are using our gifts where we are at right now in our present lives, know God allowed it so that we can demonstrate these abilities under these circumstances.
2. Our gifts are meant to remind us that all things come from God. I guess this is pretty self-explanatory and pretty obvious. It's also supported by verse 8 where Joseph gives credit to God, even to the point that he gives no credit to himself. This point will be more clear later after I explain the 3rd thing.
3. We must not expect immediate rewards or praises for performing those gifts that God gave to us. This says two things about us: One, it tells us that we use our gifts to glorify ourselves and thus, our expectations rise from our desire to be glorified through the gifts, not through God first; Second, it reminds us that our gifts are for God's glory first. God gave us all gifts, and at times when we ask God "Why did you give me this ability when it's completely useless?" or "What's the point of being good at this or that?", we ask that question precisely because we are looking for immediate results for demonstrating those gifts, more often than not results for our benefit, not God's glory.
Look back at the chapter. It took Joseph two years to get out of prison after interpreting the chief baker and cup bearer's dream. There was no immediate benefit for him in terms of demonstrating that gift, other than the fact that maybe if he had some doubt, it would affirm that God really worked through him (which isn't really supported in the text since his faith seemed unwavering). How many of us would try to use that ability to get out of prison as soon as we can instead of waiting for God to accomplish His plan.
For those who aren't Christian, they ask this question all the time. In fact, that's exactly why they're not Christian. Some non-Christians would tell me "Exactly why would I need the cross anyway? I'm living a life as good enough as it is already" or "What's the point of having a gift like that?". For me, it's because Christ's death and resurrection was meant for my salvation yes, but I'm not realizing the benefits of that now, nor do I fully enjoy in that gift in the time being. First and foremost, Christ's death on the cross was mean for God's glory. To demonstrate not just our iniquities and our faults, but primarily His saving grace and mercy. A gift that is more than enough for a world like ours.
Friday, July 15, 2011
God in the Corporate World
So being a business major, I couldn't help but think of Genesis 39 as a guideline for how to perform in the workplace and glorify God at the same time. So here are my thoughts, and Lord-willing none of them are heretical in nature:
1. We are called to do well and to succeed at whatever profession we do (all under God's law anyway). In the passage, God made the house prosperous through Jacob, meaning God blessed Joseph with the ability to do really well at whatever he was tasked with doing which in the passage is taking care of the house. And if you read how his work is described, the credit goes to God to the point that even the Potiphar is recognizing God's blessing (verse 3). In doing well, we also earn the trust of boss.
2. We are called to obey God's calling before our work's. In other words, especially in the business environment, know that if you do right by God and you obey His commandments, you will probably be persecuted in the workplace. In fact, we are called to do right by what is God even if it means losing our job. We can't just use the excuse "God gave me this job and I must keep it at all costs in order to glorify him because this is what I am willing to do to show my thanks".
3. Know that God will provide. Even in prison God blessed Joseph by making him favorable in the eyes of the warden, to the point that he was the one looking over the rest of the prisoners. Trust that by obeying God He will provide.
Thinking about it, we don't really do this. We compromise who we answer to by committing ourselves to the job, not the one who gave us the job. Don't be devoted to the calling, but be devoted to the one who called you there. If you doubt this just look at Jesus. As much as he was working towards his ministry, he was devoted to the Father first. Jesus didn't raise up an army to overthrow the Roman government, He didn't focus on living as long as he can to keep the ministry going as long as he can, and he certainly did not avoid death on the cross so that people can keep believing that He will save people either through political or military means.
He was devoted to the father first, and Jesus showed that by dying on the cross. In history, when the leader of a movement dies, it's highly probably everything falls apart. But instead everything came together because Jesus obeyed his Father, knowing that God's plan for him and the world is beyond what any of us perceive. A saving grace that brings us back to God.
1. We are called to do well and to succeed at whatever profession we do (all under God's law anyway). In the passage, God made the house prosperous through Jacob, meaning God blessed Joseph with the ability to do really well at whatever he was tasked with doing which in the passage is taking care of the house. And if you read how his work is described, the credit goes to God to the point that even the Potiphar is recognizing God's blessing (verse 3). In doing well, we also earn the trust of boss.
2. We are called to obey God's calling before our work's. In other words, especially in the business environment, know that if you do right by God and you obey His commandments, you will probably be persecuted in the workplace. In fact, we are called to do right by what is God even if it means losing our job. We can't just use the excuse "God gave me this job and I must keep it at all costs in order to glorify him because this is what I am willing to do to show my thanks".
3. Know that God will provide. Even in prison God blessed Joseph by making him favorable in the eyes of the warden, to the point that he was the one looking over the rest of the prisoners. Trust that by obeying God He will provide.
Thinking about it, we don't really do this. We compromise who we answer to by committing ourselves to the job, not the one who gave us the job. Don't be devoted to the calling, but be devoted to the one who called you there. If you doubt this just look at Jesus. As much as he was working towards his ministry, he was devoted to the Father first. Jesus didn't raise up an army to overthrow the Roman government, He didn't focus on living as long as he can to keep the ministry going as long as he can, and he certainly did not avoid death on the cross so that people can keep believing that He will save people either through political or military means.
He was devoted to the father first, and Jesus showed that by dying on the cross. In history, when the leader of a movement dies, it's highly probably everything falls apart. But instead everything came together because Jesus obeyed his Father, knowing that God's plan for him and the world is beyond what any of us perceive. A saving grace that brings us back to God.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
A Rated-R Passage on Promises
So basically, this passage is full of sex and scandals. Genesis 38 is commonly skipped because people either want to move along with the story of Joseph, or they just don't want to have to read something like this that from our perspective, doesn't seem to have any big implications. But I think the passage is important because of what it says about how we keep or make promises, and the larger picture this chapter wants to paint.
So promises/obligations unfulfilled:
1. Onan's disobedience to impregnate his older brother's widow (out of pride, he knows his son will be considered his dead brother's so he doesn't "impregnate" her)
2. Judah's unwillingness to provide his last son to Tamar (out of fear of losing him like he did his first two sons, he tells Tamar that Shelah is still young when in fact he is already of age)
3. Judah's failure to provide payment for Tamar's services (out of shame he stopped looking for her to get her the present he owes her)
So obligations were unmet because of pride (you're asked to do something you don't want to do), fear (you are afraid of giving up whatever it is you have), or shame (what you were asked to do might embarrass you in front of others). Tamar was considered more righteous by Judah because she didn't hide anything and she held him accountable to the promises that were broken to her.
The bigger picture that this chapter paints is the significance of Perez, the son of Tamar. One of Perez's descendants is a widely known king named David. And even further than that a man named Jesus of Nazareth. You can create a contrast between these obligations and God's promise. The former is usually performed out of consequences. God fulfills his promises through grace. And what's even more interesting is that He fulfills His promises through people who couldn't keep theirs.
So promises/obligations unfulfilled:
1. Onan's disobedience to impregnate his older brother's widow (out of pride, he knows his son will be considered his dead brother's so he doesn't "impregnate" her)
2. Judah's unwillingness to provide his last son to Tamar (out of fear of losing him like he did his first two sons, he tells Tamar that Shelah is still young when in fact he is already of age)
3. Judah's failure to provide payment for Tamar's services (out of shame he stopped looking for her to get her the present he owes her)
So obligations were unmet because of pride (you're asked to do something you don't want to do), fear (you are afraid of giving up whatever it is you have), or shame (what you were asked to do might embarrass you in front of others). Tamar was considered more righteous by Judah because she didn't hide anything and she held him accountable to the promises that were broken to her.
The bigger picture that this chapter paints is the significance of Perez, the son of Tamar. One of Perez's descendants is a widely known king named David. And even further than that a man named Jesus of Nazareth. You can create a contrast between these obligations and God's promise. The former is usually performed out of consequences. God fulfills his promises through grace. And what's even more interesting is that He fulfills His promises through people who couldn't keep theirs.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Jealousy That Both Condemns and Saves
Genesis 37
So I'll focus on the jealousy of the brothers towards Joseph and how that translates to us:
1. Why do we get jealous? Or rather why was Jacob's brothers jealous of him? They were jealous because of Jacob's dream. Initially, their hatred stemmed from their inability to perform work correctly and dutifully (verse 2). But the source of their hatred came from verse 5-8, where they were described as "bowing down". In other words, they were humbled by Jacob's blamelessness in the eyes of both Jacob and God, and they were not willing to admit it because they know in their hearts they were not blameless.
This principle holds true for us as well, that we get jealous because in our minds we get ourselves to believe that because someone else has something we don't have or someone is capable of doing something we can't do we are inadequate. In fact, we don't even focus on the real reason why we're inadequate (in the story, it's the failure to perform duties correctly that was what made the brothers inadequate). We come up with every reason to avoid our own faults and blame them on whoever it was that made us inadequate which was God.
2. And so how do the brothers respond? First to support the first point, the brothers called Joseph "dreamer" in both the NIV and ESV. They were probably referring to Joseph's dreams, emphasizing the fantasy wish-dream Joseph was probably perpetrating. They want to crush any possibility of ever having to humble themselves before Joseph. And so their response to that jealousy is to remove the sign that Joseph is favored by destroying his robe, humiliating him by throwing him in the cistern, and selling him to foreigners. In other words, they looked to bring Joseph down to their level, or even below theirs to the status of a slave. It's interesting to note that at Joseph's "funeral" Jacob seems to be the only one devastated.
3. How does this apply to us? Look at the cross and realize exactly what was done to Jesus. The pharisees had one solid accusation against Jesus: that he claimed Himself to be the Son of God. Jealousy for God's favor is what might have moved the pharisees to eliminate Jesus, regardless of the fulfillment of Scripture and the signs Jesus performed. And to think that it was also our sins, our own hatred for such righteousness that pinned him on the cross, the same acts that we don't think is fair for God to judge against us that stripped Jesus of his garments, that humiliated Him through a prisoner's punishment, and ultimately brought him to a prisoner's death.
And if we look at all of this, we realize that it is through this God works. In Joseph's humiliation and slavery, God uses Joseph to save Egypt and the family of Israel. And if you go down a few more generations, by saving Israel God was able to fulfill the promise of a risen savior through Judah. Why should we be jealous? Jesus was so righteous that He took the punishment that we deserved while we benefited with His kingdom.
Note: I think in terms of mini-sermons and I like to pull out the consistency of Scripture from Genesis to the Gospels. ^____^"
So I'll focus on the jealousy of the brothers towards Joseph and how that translates to us:
1. Why do we get jealous? Or rather why was Jacob's brothers jealous of him? They were jealous because of Jacob's dream. Initially, their hatred stemmed from their inability to perform work correctly and dutifully (verse 2). But the source of their hatred came from verse 5-8, where they were described as "bowing down". In other words, they were humbled by Jacob's blamelessness in the eyes of both Jacob and God, and they were not willing to admit it because they know in their hearts they were not blameless.
This principle holds true for us as well, that we get jealous because in our minds we get ourselves to believe that because someone else has something we don't have or someone is capable of doing something we can't do we are inadequate. In fact, we don't even focus on the real reason why we're inadequate (in the story, it's the failure to perform duties correctly that was what made the brothers inadequate). We come up with every reason to avoid our own faults and blame them on whoever it was that made us inadequate which was God.
2. And so how do the brothers respond? First to support the first point, the brothers called Joseph "dreamer" in both the NIV and ESV. They were probably referring to Joseph's dreams, emphasizing the fantasy wish-dream Joseph was probably perpetrating. They want to crush any possibility of ever having to humble themselves before Joseph. And so their response to that jealousy is to remove the sign that Joseph is favored by destroying his robe, humiliating him by throwing him in the cistern, and selling him to foreigners. In other words, they looked to bring Joseph down to their level, or even below theirs to the status of a slave. It's interesting to note that at Joseph's "funeral" Jacob seems to be the only one devastated.
3. How does this apply to us? Look at the cross and realize exactly what was done to Jesus. The pharisees had one solid accusation against Jesus: that he claimed Himself to be the Son of God. Jealousy for God's favor is what might have moved the pharisees to eliminate Jesus, regardless of the fulfillment of Scripture and the signs Jesus performed. And to think that it was also our sins, our own hatred for such righteousness that pinned him on the cross, the same acts that we don't think is fair for God to judge against us that stripped Jesus of his garments, that humiliated Him through a prisoner's punishment, and ultimately brought him to a prisoner's death.
And if we look at all of this, we realize that it is through this God works. In Joseph's humiliation and slavery, God uses Joseph to save Egypt and the family of Israel. And if you go down a few more generations, by saving Israel God was able to fulfill the promise of a risen savior through Judah. Why should we be jealous? Jesus was so righteous that He took the punishment that we deserved while we benefited with His kingdom.
Note: I think in terms of mini-sermons and I like to pull out the consistency of Scripture from Genesis to the Gospels. ^____^"
Introduction
So I started this blogging thing more or less to help me with doing devotions everyday. It would serve three purposes: 1. To keep myself accountable, 2. To share with everyone my thoughts on scripture I should be reading that day and 3. To record my thoughts because journals are so old school and apparently blogging is the hip thing to do nowadays (And yes, I used the "term" hip as if I was 40 years old, no offense to anyone above 39 years old).
Lord-willing I will be reading at least 2 chapters a day and I'll share thoughts and points that God might want to relay to us. So to start:
Genesis 34:
A worldly perspective on revenge is one that is focused not on God's justice but our own
1. Justice that is worldly is moved by sorrow/grief and fury, or in other words by pure emotion. (these are the very things that moved Jacob's sons, not God's justice, or in other words righteous judgement)
2. In our sin and revenge, we will do anything to carry it out, even manipulating and twisting what God has given to us to our own ends. (God's covenant/promise was manipulated by the sons to weaken the enemy, the very blessing tarnished because it was used as mere leverage above enemies)
3. God responds to our rebellion and our rebellious nature by pouring His own vengeance. He does so by taking all of His wrath and fury, and pours it on His Son on the cross.
Genesis 35:
God gives the following reasons why He alone should be worshipped:
1. He is the lone provider and that all things come from Him, not idols or ourselves (He's the one who delivered Israel from Esau and gave to Jacob his wealth)
2. He is the one who accomplishes His promises (renewal of the promises to Israel, the same ones He made to Abraham and Isaac)
3. We are not eternal or perfect like God (the mortality of the characters at the end of the passage)
These are important reminders to us because we look for things in our daily lives that will result in our glory and our praise. In other words, this passage is basically putting the points in this sense: We cannot provide for anything without God, we fail at fulfilling promises perfectly like God, and we tend to worship what is human, what is fallible, and what is not perfect (just look at how society has embraced being human and elevated it to something we should strive for).
**Note, I will probably skim through Genealogies because they're a pain to deal with
Lord-willing I will be reading at least 2 chapters a day and I'll share thoughts and points that God might want to relay to us. So to start:
Genesis 34:
A worldly perspective on revenge is one that is focused not on God's justice but our own
1. Justice that is worldly is moved by sorrow/grief and fury, or in other words by pure emotion. (these are the very things that moved Jacob's sons, not God's justice, or in other words righteous judgement)
2. In our sin and revenge, we will do anything to carry it out, even manipulating and twisting what God has given to us to our own ends. (God's covenant/promise was manipulated by the sons to weaken the enemy, the very blessing tarnished because it was used as mere leverage above enemies)
3. God responds to our rebellion and our rebellious nature by pouring His own vengeance. He does so by taking all of His wrath and fury, and pours it on His Son on the cross.
Genesis 35:
God gives the following reasons why He alone should be worshipped:
1. He is the lone provider and that all things come from Him, not idols or ourselves (He's the one who delivered Israel from Esau and gave to Jacob his wealth)
2. He is the one who accomplishes His promises (renewal of the promises to Israel, the same ones He made to Abraham and Isaac)
3. We are not eternal or perfect like God (the mortality of the characters at the end of the passage)
These are important reminders to us because we look for things in our daily lives that will result in our glory and our praise. In other words, this passage is basically putting the points in this sense: We cannot provide for anything without God, we fail at fulfilling promises perfectly like God, and we tend to worship what is human, what is fallible, and what is not perfect (just look at how society has embraced being human and elevated it to something we should strive for).
**Note, I will probably skim through Genealogies because they're a pain to deal with
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